TAMPA, FLA. — Fittingly, Derek Lalonde finished his first year as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings where he earned the job.
Thursday’s finale against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where Lalonde served as an assistant for four years, closed the season on what has been a rewarding and turbulent first foray into the challenge of being the lead guy behind the bench. From the enthusiasm that came with training through the challenges of an 82-game schedule, to dealing with injuries, to going through the trade deadline, Lalonde experienced the trials and tribulations of coaching a team rebuilding towards a better future.
“I’m excited about some of the steps we took,” Lalonde said. “I don’t know if we’ll be in a much different situation starting next year — I do think we have a lot of work to do, being on the outside looking in. This is more of a credit to our division and conference, but you’ve got to go through a first step, and I think myself and this group, we did one this year.”
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One of the first things Lalonde, 50, had to adjust to was being the guy who deals directly with the general manager. That is different from being an assistant, who serves more as a layer between players and the head coach. Lalonde was hired by Steve Yzerman July 1 of last year. Lalonde knew Yzerman from their days together with the Lightning, where Yzerman was GM until stepping into an advisory role in the fall of 2018, which was Lalonde’s first year. But the Bolts were a championship-caliber team, and Lalonde has dealt much more closely with Yzerman as the two try to push the Wings towards making the playoffs again.
“He’s passionate,” Lalonde said. “No one wants this to go more in the right direction than he does. With that said, the patient build is the way to go.”
Lalonde was referencing the March 3 trade deadline, when Yzerman shipped out forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana and Oskar Sundqvist, and defenseman Filip Hronek, for a return that included two first-round picks and a second-round pick. It happened days after the Wings had won seven of eight games, which edged them into a wild-card spot. Around the same time, the Wings lost a couple forwards to season-ending injuries.
“We were in a really good spot,” Lalonde said. “And then through trades and injuries, we flipped seven, eight guys. So I do give our guys some credit because they still competed down the stretch. So it’s just really hard to judge myself and this group with some of the circumstances.”
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Lalonde replaced Jeff Blashill, whose seven years on the job spanned the entirety of Dylan Larkin’s NHL career. There were growing pains early as Lalonde instilled systems that focused on the Wings improving their overall team defense, but through it all, Lalonde maintained an even-keeled approach.
“We were organized,” Larkin said. “Especially late in the season, after the All-Star break, we really took steps in the system. He’d tell you it’s a process to learn it, it’s very different from what we’ve played in the past. Once we kind of got comfortable with it, we won a lot of games because of it.
“I was really impressed with our organization and how we played as a team.”
Goaltender VIlle Husso said Lalonde, “has a good mindset for hockey. It’s been a good year for him. Of course he would have liked to make the playoffs, but it’s still looking at the big picture, I think we improved a lot. I really like him.”
David Perron, a veteran of six NHL teams, complimented Lalonde’s steadiness.
“He really progressed into getting comfortable behind the bench and running the whole thing,” Perron said. “His meetings have been spot on, video sessions have been incredible for everyone, and especially the young guys, to hear the details of what winning teams to do. It’s been just harping at it all year, really. The timing, everything, has been really spot on and i’ve been really impressed with that.
“He always finds the right message to push for any given night. He was finding the right thing to say, the right moment, and I think we came through for him. We had different situations to do deal with, but he was the right person to lead that.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.
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Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.